Magic Johnson. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Magic Johnson anoints Bucks as new Eastern Conference favorites

The Milwaukee Bucks have created one of the best duos in the NBA. On Wednesday, the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard in a three-team deal. The Bucks now have some elite talent at the top end of their roster. However, Milwaukee's depth appears to be rather thin.

Nevertheless, former Los Angeles Lakers All-Star guard Magic Johnson believes Milwaukee has catapulted to the top of the Eastern Conference. In a recent post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Johnson anointed Milwaukee as the favorite in the East.

The Bucks have an aging roster. Khris Middleton has struggled for health and productivity over the past two seasons. Lillard is entering his age-33 season. Adding Lillard to Milwaukee's rotation isn't a guarantee of success.

Yet, a pairing of Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo is a fearsome prospect. There are multiple ways Milwaukee could utilize their new star pairing. And there are very few ways an NBA defense can account for both players at the same time. 

Nevertheless, the Bucks will face stiff competition from the Boston Celtics after they made a big move earlier this summer. While Milwaukee's roster is top-heavy, Boston's is among the deepest in the NBA. 

The two franchises are expected to be the best teams in the East in the upcoming season. A showdown is inevitable. It will most likely occur in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Johnson's proclamation is logical. It is also likely to be correct. However, Milwaukee will need to round out their roster and figure out how to get the best out of their new star duo if they want to contend for a championship in 2024. 

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Suns to hire ex-NBA champion as new head coach
MVP Jokic, Nuggets blow out Timberwolves on road in Game 3
Panthers dominate Bruins again to take 2-1 series lead
ESPN has big plans for Caitlin Clark's WNBA debut
Angels superstar explains why he chose not to play through knee injury
Bears make big, but not surprising Caleb Williams announcement
Cardinals to sign WR who commanded extensive interest
Jayson Tatum refutes narrative that Celtics are a 'superteam'
Watch: Kyle Busch crashes in Truck Series race at Darlington
Oilers work overtime to tie Canucks at 1-1
Broncos release former Super Bowl champion WR
Former NBA big man sentenced to 40 months in prison
Peyton Manning reveals Bill Belichick's role on 'ManningCast' for this season
NBA Hall of Famer questions Knicks longevity in face of high playoff workloads
Falcons rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. details first interaction with Kirk Cousins
Insider reveals Mike Budenholzer's humongous contract figures to be Suns HC
Watch: Novak Djokovic accidentally struck, knocked down by metal water bottle
Legendary Cowboys HC clarifies misunderstanding regarding HOFer's death with same name
Raiders HC names leader in Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew competition
Former MLB infielder Sean Burroughs dies at 43 years old

Want more Bucks news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.